Kennedy’s vaccine advisory committee delays vote on hepatitis B shots for newborns

(AP) — A federal vaccine advisory committee voted to delay a vote on whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born. For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses. But the committee formed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist before he became the nation’s top health official, is considering whether to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, which would mark a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago. The committee plans to vote Friday.

US filings for jobless benefits fall to 191,000, lowest since September of 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in more than three years during Thanksgiving week, potentially complicating the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates. The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits for the week ending Nov. 29 fell to 191,000 from the previous week’s 218,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the lowest level since September 24, 2022, when claims came in at 189,000. Analysts surveyed by the data provider FactSet had forecast initial claims of 221,000. Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said that unemployment benefit filings are often distorted by the Thanksgiving holiday, which can cause some people who may have lost jobs to delay filing claims.

NY AG challenges authority of acting US attorney investigating her Trump lawsuits

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is challenging the authority of an acting U.S. attorney in Albany who is investigating her. Her lawyers argue John Sarcone’s appointment was improper, making subpoenas he issued invalid. The dispute centers on Sarcone’s role in investigating cases against Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association. Federal lawyers maintain Sarcone’s position is legitimate and the subpoenas should stand. James’ lawyers argue the subpoenas are invalid due to the improper way Sarcone was placed in the position by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. This comes as Trump’s other efforts to appoint political loyalists as federal prosecutors face legal challenges.

Trump praises Congo and Rwanda as they sign US-mediated peace deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump praised the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for their courage as they signed onto a deal on Thursday aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo and opening the region’s critical mineral reserves to the U.S. government and American companies. The moment offered Trump — who has repeatedly and with a measure of exaggeration boasted of brokering peace in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts — another chance to tout himself as a dealmaker extraordinaire on the global stage and make the case that he’s deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.